Latest news with #Kurukh
The Hindu
5 days ago
- General
- The Hindu
Thirukkural translated into Kurukh, Gondi, Malto, and Brahui: A literary Milestone for Dravidian languages
The timeless wisdom of Thirukkural is set to break new ground. The Central Institute of Classical Tamil (CICT) has commissioned its translation into four medium and minor Dravidian languages — Kurukh, Gondi, Malto and Brahui. Dravidianism Revival Centre, a not-for-profit organisation working on promoting Thirrukural in Dravidian languages, is involved in talent identification, resource sharing and guidance. The translation of Thirukkural marks a literary milestone in these languages, rich in oral traditions but nurturing their written forms. Former IRS officer and a native Kurukh speaker Mahesh S. Meenz is translating the Tamil treatise to Kurukh. In Gondi, Varaprasad Sidam, who has been promoting the language by putting out articles in the wikimedia incubator, is up for the task. For Malto – spoken by less than two lakh people – Rev. George Edward is involved in the Thirukkural translation. For the language of Brahui of Balochistan, Professor Muhammad Afzal Brohi has translated it. He is Professor at the Department of Architecture, Mehran University of Engineering and Technology (MUET), Jamshoro, Sindh, Pakistan. He was formerly Director, UNESCO Mohenjo-daro Conservation Cell The Dravidian family Scientific studies, anthropologists and linguists confirm that these languages are part of the Dravidian family. Kurukh is a northern Dravidian language spoken by the Kurukh / Oraon tribe in eastern India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan. Gondi belongs to the south-central branch of the Dravidian family and is spoken by Gond communities across central India. Malto, also part of the Northern Dravidian group, is spoken by the Malto (Paharia) tribes in the Rajmahal Hills and surrounding regions. Brahui, a linguistic outlier of the Dravidian family, is spoken in Pakistan's Balochistan province, as well as parts of Afghanistan and Iran—far from the traditional Dravidian heartland, yet situated at the very heart of the pre-Harappan Mehrgarh civilization (7000–5500 BC). According to Finnish Indologist Asko Parpola, this culture later migrated into the Indus Valley, eventually giving rise to the Bronze Age Indus Valley Civilization. All these languages lack a substantial body of written literature but the oral literature is rich with songs and poetry. 'In ancient Tamil Sangam literature, the male hero (talaivan) often shares a deep emotional bond with a male confidant, referred to as pāṅkaṉ. A similar tradition exists in Kurukh culture, where a young boy, with parental consent, may form a fraternal relationship—known as iar or sangi—with another boy from another clan, said Dr J Ravikumar Stephen G, founder, Dravidianism Revival Centre. Indian anthropologist Lalita Prasad Vidyarthi extensively studied the Malto tribe's belief systems and classified their language under the Dravidian family. In his comparative studies, Russian linguist Mikhail S Andronov placed the language among Northern Dravidian languages. There is evidence of a shared origin between Gondi and Tamil, as well as other Dravidian languages, due to their notable grammatical and syntactic similarities. 'Gondi and Tamil share thousands of cognates (words with a common ancestor) and grammatical features, making them both members of the South and Central Dravidian branch of the Dravidian language family,' said Dr. Annie Tisha Jerald, Junior Research Fellow, International School of Dravidian Linguistics, Thiruvananthapuram. Brahui, geographically isolated from the rest of the Dravidian family, shows strong connections to the Dravidian land. 'The 37 known Brahui tribes constituted a distinct polity, reminiscent of the 'Kurunila mannarkal' – the minor kings of ancient Tamilakam. These tribe rulers formed a confederation, just like the 'Nadu Vali', federation of Tamil Chera kings in early South Indian history,' Ravikumar Stephen said. A literary milestone The governments of West Bengal and Jharkhand have officially recognized Kurukh as one of the state languages. The development of exclusive scripts for Kurukh in the 1990s advanced the teaching of the language in schools and training centers across Jharkhand, Odisha and West Bengal. Meanwhile, linguists in Telangana are advocating for the inclusion of Gondi in the Eighth Schedule. Malto lacks official recognition and a standardized script, which has hindered its development in formal education systems. Unlike the 19th-century German missionaries, the present-day Christian missionaries from Tamil Nadu have established Hindi-medium schools, which, according to Bishop Dr. Ravikumar, has significantly contributed to the decline of the Malto language. Many Brahui speakers are bilingual, often using Balochi or Urdu in daily life, which has led to concerns about language preservation, despite the fact that the University of Balochistan offers degree programs in Brahui from the bachelor's to the doctoral level. At such a time, translation of classical texts like the Thirukkural serves both political and literary purposes. 'The official recognition granted by the Jharkhand government to the Tolong Siki script—developed by Dr Narayan Oraon—has elevated the status of the Kurukh language in the region. That's why the Thirukkural translation project will carve out a meaningful space for Kurukh,' said Mahesh Meenz, a former IRS officer and the translator. 'The Thirukkural's portrayal of lifestyle themes—especially those related to love and agriculture—resonates deeply with both Tamil and Kurukh-speaking communities,' Mahesh added. Gondi, the language learned even by the IAS officers to communicate with people of Adilabad in Telangana, has ample oral literature in the form of riddles, folk songs and puzzles. 'Only two out of 100 speakers of Gondi can read and write the language, in Gunjala Script. Once translated, Thirukkural will serve as a philosophical guide to us,' said Varaprasad, who has completed seventeen chapters of Gondi translation using Telugu and Gunjala script, which is the oldest script of Gondi language. The other script, Masaram, is widely popular in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. The translators share their connect with Thirukkural. 'While translating the Thirukkural, I felt as though it was written on the mountains and waters of Brahui. I could imagine Thiruvalluvar speaking with the king and the people here,' said Professor Muhammad Afzal Brohi. Translation enriches a language and the absence of written literature often leads to the extinction of a language. 'Kambar's Ramayanam, a transcreation of the epic in Tamil, surpassed many original and translated versions and set a high standard for Tamil narrative poetry. Other works such as The Bible, the Mahabharata, and later, John Bunyan's 'Pilgrim's Progress', transcreated to Tamil in pure poetic format as 'Ratchanya Yathrigam' are some phenomenal works,' said Ravikumar. The challenges The translation project has encountered several challenges, most important among them being the difficulty in finding qualified translators and reviewers of the translated work. 'It took me more than three years to find translators for Malto. Through outreach via social media and word of mouth, I could achieve the feat,' said Ravikumar. Secondly, content translation was a tough task, as with the exception of the Malto translator, all of the others did not know Tamil. 'I provided them with existing translations of the Thirukkural in various languages such as English, Hindi, Bengali and Telugu,' Ravikumar said. As these languages are not exposed to scientific and philosophical genre, many words are just absent. Translators are coining new words with the help of century-old dictionaries created by GermanLutheran missionaries likeRev. Ferdinand Hahn. The translation project calls for an elaborate fact checking and review procedure. 'Thirukkural itself is imbued with secular and universal values. Unfortunately, some translators tend to introduce their own religious or cultural biases. For example, in the third couplet which describes the divine as 'the one who walked on a flower'—many translators inserted the term Kamal (lotus), which subtly implies a specific religious symbolism,' Ravikumar added. Political sensitivities can also pose challenges to translation initiatives. For instance, in the case of the Brahui translation—where the translator is a Pakistani national—clearances were required at the ministerial level. 'The Brahui translator submitted the application to the Union Minister for Education just hours before the tragic Pahalgam incident, and a response is still awaited,' said Dr Ravikumar Stephen. Despite such complexities, the CICT seems committed to making Thirukkural accessible in every Dravidian language. Director of CICT, Professor R Chandrashekharan has already published Thirukkural translations in medium and minor South Dravidian languages such as Badaga, Kodava, Koraga, and Tulu
Time of India
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
State's music struggles for recognition amid lack of promotion, resources
Ranchi: While Bhojpuri and Punjabi music continues to dominate playlists and social media reels across the globe, Jharkhand's rich musical heritage struggles to find a similar spotlight. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Despite having deep-rooted tribal and folk traditions, the state's music scene remains mostly confined to seasonal festivals, local events and on the fringes of digital platforms. Singers and music experts from the state say the reasons for this setback are manifold. Among them, poor presentation, language limitations, financial constraints and lack of promotional strategy are the biggest roadblocks preventing the state's music from reaching national or global audiences. Monika Mundu, a Nagpuri singer and practising since 1989, emphasises that even though the contents and melodies of the state songs are rich, the way they are packaged and presented remains outdated. "Our songs have the soul and stories, but they lack presentation. Today's generation connects with looks and sounds that are trendy. Unless we upgrade the production quality and visuals, we will stay behind. Our music evolved and is now gaining some national recognition, says Monika, who has sung songs like 'Ab Jago Jharkhandi' among others. According to Monika, most local artists in the state struggle to find producers, who are willing to invest in such enhancements, unlike Punjabi or Bhojpuri songs that invest heavily in high-quality videos, catchy choreography and promotional teasers. Other artists say the impediment is also because of the language factor as most tribal and regional songs from the state are composed in Nagpuri, Kurukh, Mundari, Kharia or Ho languages that are spoken primarily in the state or by small tribal populations in neighbouring regions. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Suman Gari, a Nagpuri singer, says, "There's a beauty in our languages, but they are less understood, hence shared less. When people don't understand the lyrics, they move on. We need subtitles, translations and more fusion content to widen the appeal." The artists also highlight that while Bhojpuri and Punjabi singers easily get platforms through private music labels, most tribal singers in the state work without any organisational support. Manish Sony, another singer, says, "Finances are a constant hurdle. We can't even afford proper studio time or professional instruments. Most of us borrow, record at makeshift setups and release songs on YouTube without any ad support. How will we compete with Bhojpuri singers who spend lakhs on a single track?" Experts and cultural promoters also agree that the state lacks a defined ecosystem for the music industry. Sanjay Kumar, the owner of Runiya Prem Films Production, says, "There is no proper infrastructure, production house or marketing agencies dedicated to regional music. In the absence of these basic elements, most artists don't know how to promote themselves."
Time of India
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Introduce tribal languages in schools: Edu min to govt
1 2 Ranchi: The school education and literacy department has submitted a proposal to chief minister Hemant Soren, urging the govt to introduce tribal and regional languages in schools across the state, with an aim to promote inclusive education and cultural preservation . The compiled report was formally submitted to the state school education minister Ramdas Soren, who in turn handed over it to the CM on Thursday night. Earlier, the department constituted a committee which included the director of primary education, joint secretary of the department, and several officials with expertise in education and linguistics. They went on a three-day tour to Bengal and their primary responsibility was to study the integration of tribal and regional languages within the school education system there, where such practices have already been implemented successfully. The main languages proposed for introduction in the state curriculum for Classes VI to X include Kurukh, Mundari, Ho, Santhali, and Kharia spoken among tribal populations in various districts of the state. Administrative officer, S D Tigga, said, "The committee conducted an in-depth field study in Bengal, engaging with educators, curriculum developers, and language instructors to understand the implementation models, challenges, and benefits of regional language integration. Based on its findings, the committee compiled a comprehensive report detailing recommendations, feasible models for implementation, and suggested measures to ensure a smooth roll-out. " Tigga added, "The proposal is expected to form the basis of significant curriculum reforms aimed at preserving the state's rich linguistic heritage and improving educational outcomes for students from tribal communities."
Indian Express
03-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Humans in the Loop explores how AI clashes with traditional belief systems
When Humans in the Loop's protagonist Nehma, a tribal data labeller at a centre in Jharkhand, is pulled up by her supervisor, she stands her ground and clarifies that the 'insect', which their Western client want to be labelled as a 'pest', is the one that protects the ecosystem by consuming rotten leaves. Nehma argues: 'AI is like a child. If you teach it wrong things, it will pick up those.' As the world is increasingly getting impacted by artificial intelligence (AI), Nehma represents traditional wisdom, rooted in nature. Humans in the Loop, written and directed by Aranya Sahay, is a Hindi and Kurukh language movie that follows Nehma (essayed by Sonal Madhushankar), whose job at a data centre in a remote area in Jharkhand involves labelling data to train AI models. Nehma takes up this job after returning to her village with her daughter Dhaanu and toddler son Guntu following her separation from her husband. As part of her 'data labelling' job, she learns to tag images to help algorithms distinguish objects. Even as Nehma struggles to learn the ropes of her job, the movie also highlights her internal conflict. Living close to a forest, she tries to reconnect with her tribal roots and nature. However, the differences between Nehma and Dhaanu seem to grow as the latter misses the comforts and ways of an urban life. The movie is inspired by data labelling, which is carried out in certain indigenous regions of Jharkhand, West Bengal, Rajasthan and Telangana. Major AI firms outsource such tasks to remote regions of India, where labour is cheap. As the narrative unfolds, the feature also explores 'how human prejudices' are fed into AI systems and 'the unacknowledged consequences' for communities excluded from the tech revolution. The movie will be screened during the upcoming Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles and the New York Indian Film Festival. In 2022, Mumbai -based Sahay came across an article regarding tribal women in Jharkhand working with artificial intelligence as data annotators ('Human Touch' by Karishma Mehrotra published in Fifty Two). He got curious about it since he has been familiar with tribal issues because of his mother Lakshmi Bhatia's work as a sociologist and researcher in tribal regions of India. The Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune graduate saw this as an opportunity to develop a cinematic tale that explores 'the interplay between a traditional society and technologies of the future'. Following a call by Storiculture, a network of film and content expertise, to develop stories about how technology and society overlap, Sahay worked on developing this story. 'The tribal data labellers go through thousands of photos and videos to make the algorithm understand the difference between something as basic as a chair and a table. This is very similar to the idea of parenting. Like how children learn to differentiate between colours and shapes. That became the central point of this film,' says Sahay, who has directed five short films earlier, including Songs for Babasaheb and Chait. Before he wrote the screenplay, Sahay spent nearly eight months in Ranchi and villages close to a forest near Jonha falls in Jharkhand. His interactions with Biju Toppo, a national award-winning filmmaker, and his FTII senior Seral Murmu helped him understand that world better. Even though the subject sounds ideal for a documentary, he leaned towards a fictional narrative to make it more layered and engaging. Though Sahay tried to tap into the talent pools of FTII and National School of Drama to find a suitable tribal actor, he was not successful. 'The entertainment world of Mumbai too is biased towards fair-skin actors,' he says. Then someone suggested Sonal for Nehma's role. Even though she is not a tribal but a Dalit, she seemed perfect, mainly because of her 'evocative gaze'. Sonal, who is from Gadchiroli district in Maharashtra, stayed with the crew for 10 days during the recce in Jharkhand and observed the people there for her role as Nehma.
